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CLINTONS ARE DUPLICITOUS-- BOSNIA TALE CONTINUES TO GROW
I previously blogged that Senator Clinton's Bosnia tale was a tragic mistake on many levels-- most importantly because of the attempt to cover up the story she had told at least three times in public as early as Iowa and as recent as in prepared remarks in a St Patricks day speech--even after reporters and individuals ( ie,Sin bad who was on the trip with Senator Clinton) called into question Senator Clinton's story. After all , it was not just any story , it was a story designed specifically to show her foreign policy mettle and bonafides.
Unfortunately, Senator Clinton diminished the recollection of others and tried to obfuscate the truth hoping it would just be one of those-- oh well its to confusing to get your arms around and who's going to believe Sin bad the Obama supporter anyway . This tactic backfired ( although because it has worked so many other times ie, NAFTA, the campaign must have figured why change now) .
This issue and this time was different. The truth and the often repeated tale told a starkly different story and there was clearly only one truth and it was not Senator Clinton's. The issue was also critical and central to the campaign-- foreign policy experience.
Only after being faced with the undeniable and irrefutable truth did Senator Clinton back off the story, but she did it in a duplicitous manner claiming she was tired an simply misspoke. This was another tale much more damaging than the initial one as the cover up was false. As referenced above and now widely reported , Senator Clinton had repeated the same story at least three times over several months and failed to retract it despite numerous off the beat media stories and personal challenges to the story.
President Clinton is a brilliant Politician, he realizes how monumental a blunder the Bosnia tale story is and yesterday tried to recast it with such a distorted and untruthful manner that it only magnified the sad history of the Bosnia tale. His belief he can talk his or his wifes way out of anything and apparent disdain for the facts probably made him think he could make the tremendously harmful Bosnia debacle a little more muddled and a little better.
It didn't work, what it did was once again show the Clinton's tag team show will say and do anything and won't let facts or others get in the way.
When facing a war hero in a general election who lingered as a prisoner of war for years in horrid conditions , even if you naively buy the Clinton spin of the story, the fact that Senator Clinton somehow thought she remembered bullets flying at her in Bosnia and mistakenly used the story as a basis to support her foreign policy credentials should be extremely worrisome-- even to the Senators most loyal supporters . This most favorable, albeit unbelievable version of the story, will in and of itself bury her if she somehow managed to get the nomination. Even the little girl Senator Clinton greeted at the Airport remembers that day and is troubled by the tale.
However, anyone following the story objectively knows the real story is much more harmful and cannot be explained away, not even by the great communicator, President Clinton.
Only one word can describe the Clintons and their sad campaign which has badly tarnished Senator Clinton, President Clinton and the Democratic party---- DUPLICITOUS !
( As an aside-- I have voted Democratic my entire life, including 2 times for President Clinton ( I am 46 ) and write this blog with a heavy heart and concern for the next 8 years)
Comments (18)
Part of me thinks he doesn't really want her to win anyway. His legacy would be trapped in her shadow forever.
April 11, 2008 4:56 PM | Reply | Permalink
I've been wondering that very same thing for some time. Either Bill is (perhaps subconsciously) trying to sabotage Hillary's campaign or he's experiencing early-onset dementia. Don't laugh: who doubts that THE Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan, wasn't suffering the early stages of Alzheimer's when he told all those ridiculous Tall Tales about serving in the military, etc.? Of course, when he did it, it was passed off as folksy charm.
I don't buy all the "double standards" arguments Hillary has made about her critics, but as her Bosnia took on more and more embellishments, I could think of nothing but Reagan. I guess a lot of people start to believe their own exaggerations after a while.
Of course, it was "charming" when Reagan did it and "cynical" when Hillary did the very same thing.
April 11, 2008 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't underestimate their propensity to just dismiss the intelligence of voters everywhere.
Seriously, they're just doing what they do best. Manipulating, spinning and outright lying.
And when they get caught by the media, they'll cry victim and rally their base more.
I'm amazed it's still working for them.
April 11, 2008 5:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Perhaps most astounding in this tale is Bill's insistence that it really was a dangerous area....
To which one must ask: Then why did you send your wife and child there?
What kind of sicko sends his wife and child into a sniper shooting range?
The whole story is ridiculous on so many levels, I can't believe Hillary still leads in PA.
April 11, 2008 5:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
The weirdest here is that he pointed out that three American peacekeepers died around the same time -- in a car accident. Now, surely these were noble individuals who died in service of their country, but car accidents happen outside of war zones, too.
April 12, 2008 1:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's sort of amazed the Tuzla gaffe is still prominently kicking around. And yes, WJC's foot-in-mouth is only prolonging the coverage. I have to wonder, if this issue is alive and still a focus of discussion after the PA primary, will it be considered HRC's death blow? Will "Tuzla" take a place beside "Swift Boat" in our political lexicon? I think the incident is characteristic and representative of some of HRC's shortcomings, but I wouldn't have thought this could have such a lasting impact (if indeed it does). But interesting that such a thing could spell the demise of her campaign.
April 11, 2008 5:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
The problem in PA (I live in suburban Philadelphia) is that many of Hillary's most ardent supporters are older, lifelong Democrats who are not particularly politically astute.
They're voting for Hillary because she's a "fighter" and, assuming they even know about this latest blunder, they rationalize it as proof that she's one "tough broad" who's looking out for their interests and that the return of her and Bill to the WH will restore the economic security these folks lost under Bush.
Completely irrational, but that's what they need to believe to sleep at night, and nobody is going to dissuade them with rational arguments.
April 11, 2008 10:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I musr be blunt-- You dont get how making up a story to prove your foreign policy credentials, lying about the fact that it was made up ( after repeating the story since Iowa) and asserting it was a misstatment because she was tired and not acknowledging it was made in prepared remarks and on at least 3 different times and then trying to discredit others who told the truth about the trip until finally being caught in the lie and then making up a false excuse " I was tired "
Do first ladies or for that matter anyone come under sniper fire often--- Isnt that something one would remember especially if you were told by members of the media and others way back in January that the story was wrong.
Now enters President Clinton and puts another totsally false spin on the story. Is this what you want for 4 or 8 years. Not me.
April 11, 2008 6:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
The really disturbing part of her telling the story was the serene smile on her face while telling it.
I've had friends and family that have recounted being shot at... I've never seen anyone look up, move their hands around in a grand motion and smile while recounting an experience like that, unless it was accompanied by nervous laughter.
Most people don't like to tell about these kinds of events in their life.
Her demeanor while telling it was creepy.
April 12, 2008 1:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Most people, however, remember their own humanity.
When you remember that ten years ago when you flew into Tuzla, as first lady in a war zone, you had to be moved to the front of the plane while you approached the airport because that was the bulletproof part; and all the other passengers had to put their flack jackets under their seats as they landed in a corkscrew maneuver because of reports of sniperfire in the hills nearby; and 10 years later after campaigning 12-18 hours a day for months you conflated that memory to exaggerate the details, is it really such a sin? Is any person who would run for president above such a sin?
Does that really erase all the solutions that we need so much that only she brings to the table?
I don't think so.
April 12, 2008 2:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nme one solution that only she brings to the table. Name a substantive difference on policy between her and the prohibitive favorite to win (Sen Obama). There is None.
April 12, 2008 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
bluesage - there was NO REPORTS OF SNIPER FIRE at the time. There was NO CORKSCREW LANDING. These and other details were made up out of whole cloth.
She could be forgiven for doing what you posit happened...but that isn't what happened at all, is it?
She made it up and then lied about that. Take your head out of the sand.
April 12, 2008 3:46 AM | Reply | Permalink
Another damaging factor of this whole debacle is that if she was telling the truth about just being tired it totally destroys the idea that she would be in any way effective at 3AM.
April 12, 2008 3:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Blusage, I hate to say it, but this whole "solutions only she can bring" thing makes you sound like one of the Kool aid drinkers.
Seriously people are acting like Obama or Clinton are the chosen ones who will lead us to the holy land. It's really silly. They would both be able to fill the position admirably.
Seriously the only poor option here is Mcain.
We all have our opinions on who would be better but buying in to the talking points of "she's/he's the only one who can save" us just makes you sound like you are idolizing your candidate.
April 12, 2008 4:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Jsmith, I don't think "she's the only one who can save us." I didn't say that. I just don't like this whole line of attack. I have a strong reaction to her being swiftboated in this way. There was a corkscrew landing, there were reports of sniper fire in the hills, did you see that all those soldiers in the video with the little girl were in full battle gear?
The things she conflated were that she had to "run with her head down" to their cars because of the sniper fire.
The solutions only she offers are real to me and many of her supporters. I heard her lead a forum on Biotechnology infrastructure in Pittsburg last week - the depth and breadth of her knowledge in so many areas is outstanding.
She is an expert on the military too and we need that.
She wants to be a workhorse president. That is what we need.
April 12, 2008 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
The point is that this whole debacle reinforces her already not great "trustworthy" numbers. And if she's being swiftboated, she put herself in the boat and shoved off. The Clintons, I don't think, understand what it means to campaign in the age of 24/7 cable news and 24/7 internet and perhaps most importantly, 24/7 Youtube. I think the media has spent too much time talking about this considering everything else that's going on in the world right now, but that's the media, in all their glorified suckiness.
She does have a lot of knowledge and understanding, but if she can't get elected, it's not going to do us much good. I don't think at this point either of the candidates are a sure thing, and there are certainly risks to both. But the trustworthy numbers are her biggest obstacle, and this never-ending Bosnia story is definitely not the way to help reverse them.
And just to clarify, there was no corkscrew landing. The pilot of the plane made that point in an interview.
April 12, 2008 12:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's not only a matter of getting elected. The republicans will drag their feet against any initiative that Hillary wanted. Look at what they did (and got away with doing) to Bill Clinton! They HATE the Clintons!
I don't get why Hillary has a reputation as a "workhorse" except that it is one of the descriptives that her campaign has circulated that is no more meaningful (or truthful) than 35 years of experience.
No one knows how hard she worked on Universal Health Care because she did it all in secrecy and she failed at it. She says she opposed NAFTA, but if true, she obviously wasn't listened to even in her husband's administration, because she went out and worked for it.
What has she done for New York as a senator? She takes credit for things she was only slightly associated with (SCHIP) and has few substantive claims on successes.
Has anyone asked her this question: "OK, Hillary, pretend it is DAY ONE. What are you going to do?"
Our next leader has to be someone who can bring people together, someone who has sound judgement, and someone who is not always making excuses for mistakes; I believe that is Obama and if you don't agree it doesn't mean that either one of us is stupid; we just see the world differently.
April 12, 2008 1:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
"She is an expert on the military too and we need that."
How so? Her Armed Services Committee appointment? Didn't Walter Reed happen under HER watch then? How come she wasn't an 'expert' then? How come reporters exposed the shitty conditions at Walter Reed and not her?
and
If McCains expertise is related to his service in the military... are we judging Obama by the same standard?
No one asks Hillary why she never served in the armed forces, her Committee appointment suffices as experience.
Finally, people that are actually IN the military right now are the experts, no Senator knows more than those in the active service.
April 12, 2008 6:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
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